The Footballguys Players Championship is back! The joint effort from Footballguys and the FFPC yielded a whopping 1,608 teams in 2010. The $350 online contest also produced a $100,000 winner in Ryan Strickler.

It's a high-stakes contest with a medium-stakes entry fee of $350. This is something our customers have asked us for years. Expect the best contest with the most attractive payouts out there. Plus, the entire prize pool is escrowed and secure so there are no worries about payment. And if you buy your team before Midnight ET on Monday, July 25th, this year's Footballguys subscription is on us (or if you have already subscribed, we will add a year). Buy a 3 pack (for $1,000) and we will add 3 years to your current subscription.

The top prize is a guaranteed $75,000. Each 12 team league has a prize pool of $1,950. All prize money is escrowed and guaranteed.

It's almost in the books. The owners have approved the Labor proposal and now we're just waiting on the players to do the same. Almost time to celebrate. Plus we've got the news and notes you need plus more great features. Let's get to it.

J

SITE NEWS

A.
32 Questions You Need Answers To - Part 5
Sigmund Bloom continues to knock our "32 Questions" series out of the park with another installment. In this one, he examines the NFC
East. See if we think the Eagles will make a move for Plaxico Burress and find out if we think Ahmad Bradshaw will be carrying the ball for the Giants.

B.
32 Questions You Need Answers To - Part 6
Sigmund Bloom continues to knock our "32 Questions" series out of the park with another installment. In this one, he examines the NFC
North. See what we envision for the Packers running game and the Bears WRs plus more.

C.
Things Changed Checklist
Our Mike Herman with a good checklist to use when evaluating what's changed from one year to the next.

D.
Week 17 Heroes
Our Jeff Tefertiller takes a look at last year's Week 17 Heroes and asks if they've shown us something that will carry over to this season.

E.
Lockout Impact
Our Jeff Tefertiller examines the effects that the lockout might have
on 2011 player performance.

F.
Dynasty News #3
Our Jeff Tefertiller with another edition of Dynasty News where he looks at recent news events through the lens of how it affects players in Dynasty Leagues.

NFLPA leaders told ESPN senior NFL analyst Chris Mortensen a vote among its 32 player representatives appears likely Friday after the group received the "finishing points" of the agreement NFL owners approved Thursday. The NFLPA did not receive those details until after a two-hour conference call with player reps came to a conclusion without a vote Thursday night.

"All in all, despite the games that were played by the NFL, things look much more optimistic," a players' leadership source said.

Indianapolis Colts owner Jim Irsay said he believes QB Peyton Manning (neck) will be ready for the start of the regular season.

[ [ [ [ [ [ [ [ [ [ OUR VIEW ] ] ] ] ] ] ] ] ] ]

Irsay's probably right, but the team is going to be extra cautious with Manning in training camp so they don't aggravate the injury. The Colts need to find a better backup behind Manning, and should sign a free agent to compete with Curtis Painter for the job.

The New York Jets have hired former Indianapolis Colts offensive coordinator Tom Moore as a consultant.

[ [ [ [ [ [ [ [ [ [ OUR VIEW ] ] ] ] ] ] ] ] ] ]

Wow. This is not insignificant news in my opinion. Moore is so inextricably linked to Peyton Manning, it'll be very interesting to see how he does with a young QB in Mark Sanchez. I like this for the Jets and their young QB.

The expected release of Tennessee Titans QB Vince Young will save the team $12.8 million heading into the 2011 season.

[ [ [ [ [ [ [ [ [ [ OUR VIEW ] ] ] ] ] ] ] ] ] ]

Young will be a hot commodity in free agency, both for teams looking for a potential starter and teams needing a quality backup. His career is over in Tennessee, but Young is plenty young enough to have a lot of years left in the NFL if he can get his head on straight.

The New Orleans Saints will create another $12 million of salary cap space by releasing RB Reggie Bush once the NFL lockout is lifted.

[ [ [ [ [ [ [ [ [ [ OUR VIEW ] ] ] ] ] ] ] ] ] ]

Bush is going to have to restructure or take his walking papers. The question is whether another team will pay him more than the four million of dead cap space he would represent for the Saints. We're guessing yes, but it'll be the last time a team sticks their neck out financially to add Bush.

Rich Campbell, from the Washington Times, reports free agent RT Ryan Harris could be on the Redskins radar when the lockout is over. In a radio interview on 102.3 The Ticket in Denver Harris was asked if he would play for coach Shanahan again. "Yeah," Harris said. "I had a great experience with Mike Shanahan. [He] drafted me into the league, gave me my first opportunity. We had the No. 1 pass offensive line [in sacks per pass] and the No. 3 rushing offensive line [in yards per carry] so I know he's got a system that works. He knows how to put players together."

[ [ [ [ [ [ [ [ [ [ OUR VIEW ] ] ] ] ] ] ] ] ] ]

Shanahan drafted Harris out of Notre Dame in the third-round of the 2007 NFL Draft. He was promoted to the starting lineup a year later and became a quality starter when healthy. Washington could lose RT Jamaal Brown in free agency and may see Harris as a good replacement.

The Baltimore Ravens would save $2.5 million in salary cap space if they decided to release RB Willis McGahee once the lockout is over.

[ [ [ [ [ [ [ [ [ [ OUR VIEW ] ] ] ] ] ] ] ] ] ]

McGahee is a backup in Baltimore, but could be a starter for several other teams around the league. If he's let go teams like the Dolphins or Broncos could be interested in his services. Baltimore is likely to move forward with Jalen Parmele as the primary backup behind Ray Rice.

The Chicago Bears could show interest in free-agent WR Brad Smith (Jets) once free agency begins.

[ [ [ [ [ [ [ [ [ [ OUR VIEW ] ] ] ] ] ] ] ] ] ]

Adding Smith would make a lot of sense in a Mike Martz offense. Smith is a versatile player who could help the team in a number of ways. He could be an effective slot receiver, help them in the return game, and even play Wildcat QB if need be.

Free-agent-to-be WR Steve Breaston (Cardinals) (knee) is open to a return to the Arizona Cardinals. 'I enjoy playing in Arizona, I enjoy it a lot,' Breaston said in a radio interview Wednesday, July 20. 'I enjoy my teammates and I like living out there. I want to be there. There were a lot of issues about my knee, but I know I will be ready for the season.'

[ [ [ [ [ [ [ [ [ [ OUR VIEW ] ] ] ] ] ] ] ] ] ]

Breaston did play hurt last year, so the team might "owe him one". Andre Roberts is an exciting young talent and Early Doucet has always when effective when healthy (although that has been rare), so the team could be inclined to move on, especially when Roberts seemed to overtake Breaston as the season went on last year. Chicago, St. Louis, Washington, Seattle, and New York Jets are part of a long list of teams that could pursue Breaston on the open market.